Lazing on a Sunny Afternoon
by moonrainer
Summary: At the lake, Remus can't seem to get any studying done. But what are friends for?


**A/N** All the characters and places you recognise here are based on J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series. The stories below however are entirely my own.

 **Written for** The Golden Snitch's _Charms Class_ (Wingardium Leviosa) / Beauxbatons, Barbegazi

* * *

"You know, when I said I didn't feel like getting wet, I really meant it." Frustrated, Remus held his book above his head in a futile attempt to protect it from the cold water. His splashing friend obviously didn't care about library fines.

"Oh, come on, Moony! Don't be so uptight!" Sirius was floating on his back, his feet kicking the water. "Anyway, there's still loads of time 'til exams start. You should be having fun!"

Remus grumbled. Unlike Sirius, he needed the time to study. For him, good grades required determination and hard work. Skinny-dipping in the Great Lake didn't fit into the equation.

"You should probably try to keep a lower profile. There are girls around." Remus nodded in the general direction of a group of fellow sixth-years, sitting in the sun several hundred yards behind them. Among them, he spotted Lily Evans, easily identified by her auburn hair.

Sirius laughed. "Well, first off, I'm not ashamed of the body nature has provided me with." Winking at Remus, he managed to pose promiscuously while keeping himself afloat. "Second, I'm still wearing my underpants, as you can see." He wiggled his bottom. "And third, I don't doubt for a second that you'd cast a disillusionment charm on me should anyone so much as think of approaching us."

 _He might be exaggerating, but he isn't completely wrong_ , Remus mused. Sometimes, Sirius just didn't know what was best for him. He needed someone – mostly Remus – to protect him from himself. Coming to think about it, James wasn't much better. The two of them were always in trouble, sometimes simply for the sake of it. Unlike Remus, they certainly enjoyed it.

Even though it could be tedious at times, he was glad to have friends he needed to look out for. In turn, Sirius and James made him feel like he belonged. No one could do that better than the two of them.

"Join me, Moony!" Sirius now coaxed, the notorious Padfoot grin of mischief on his face.

"I would if I could," he replied.

"But…?" Sirius looked at him expectantly.

Remus smirked. "But I can't, so I won't."

"Well, your loss!" With a big splash, Sirius threw himself rearwards and started doing the backstroke.

Remus shook his head and turned to his potions book, applying a spell to dry off its pages as best as he could. He tried not to pay too much attention to his friend and instead began memorising drought recipes. Soon, he was completely lost in the task.

"Oh why hello there!" a familiar voice suddenly chirped right next to him.

Sighing, Remus let his book sink into his lap. He started to wonder if the universe was conspiring against him, purposefully preventing his exam revision. "Hello Dorcas."

"Why so gloomy, Remus?" Dorcas scoffed. "Aren't you happy to see me?" When he didn't respond, she tutted and went on. "Anyway, I'm here on business, not for small talk." She lowered her voice. "Do you have information regarding the whereabouts of a certain James Potter?" she asked in a fake conspiratorial manner.

Remus snorted. "Who wants to know?"

"I do. For the sake of a certain lady, who, I'm quite sure, will probably hex me later for doing this."

Even though he thought Dorcas was being ridiculous, he didn't see how telling the truth could possibly hurt James.

"He's in detention with Peter. McGonagall caught them this morning when…"

"That's not what I heard," she interrupted in an annoying, sing-songy voice.

Remus raised an eyebrow. "And, pray tell, what _have_ you heard?"

"My source says that he's currently _busy_ in the Trophy Room." She paused dramatically, clearly enjoying this act. "With Mary MacDonald."

This took Remus by surprise, but he tried his best not to let it show. And even if he had known more about James's alleged business with any girl, he wouldn't even dream about betraying his friend's trust to cocky Dorcas Meadows.

"I don't know what you're talking about." To illustrate his point, he buried himself in his book again.

" _Wingardium Leviosa!_ " The book slid out of his hands and up into the air. Dorcas snatched it with a little jump.

Without missing a beat, Remus frantically fumbled his robes for his wand.

"Are you looking for this?" He froze when she dangled it in front of him, just out of his reach. Of course! He'd put it down next to him after reversing the water damage. Dorcas was cunning; she should have been sorted into Slytherin.

"Careful, Dorcas," he growled. "I can make you lose points for this."

"What, taking points from your own house when your best friends are already losing so many? I don't think so!" She smirked, and Remus felt himself getting more and more furious at her.

"Fine – detention then!"

"Alright, but that's still not gonna get you this book back!" She waved it around carelessly, poking her tongue out at him.

"Oi!" Sirius suddenly hollered from out of the lake. "What's going on?"

"You stay out of this, Black!" Dorcas barked at him, but then paused pensively. "On second thought… Come here for a second, I need to talk to you! Your prefect pal isn't being very cooperative!"

Sirius looked like he was considering her request, but then shouted, "Nah, can't be bothered! But why don't _you_ come _in here_?"

Dorcas contorted her face in disgust. "No thank you, I'm not into squids."

"I'd consider myself more of a barracuda to be honest." He puffed out is chest. "Anyway, probably better to let you two drags enjoy each other's company in peace. Laters!" he bellowed before dived under.

Groaning, Dorcas faced Remus again, but immediately got distracted by something behind him.

"Oh, looks like we're getting company!" She waved, and just as he was about to turn around to see what was happening, he heard Lily Evans's unusually angry voice.

"That's enough, Dorcas! Leave him alone." She stopped right in front of Dorcas, towering over her, arms akimbo.

"Calm down, Lils," Dorcas said, throwing her a big smile. "I was just asking Mr. Lupin here a few questions regarding a gentleman you were quite interested in earlier."

Lily blushed, her dominance waning. "I wasn't- It's not-"

Dorcas smirked knowingly. "Of course, of course! Everyone knows you _hate_ that daft, conceited show-off." She winked at her friend. "Anyway, Remus had nothing to say. Pity, but I should've known, really. He's just not the kind of bloke who's in on things," she sneered.

Even though it stung, Remus had to admit that Dorcas had struck a chord. He mostly preferred books to people, tried to keep his head down and, worst of all, he was a prefect. Because of that, he missed out on a lot of what Sirius and James would call fun. It hurt him that other students had picked up on this, and for a moment, he felt like a little boy again, ostracised and lonely.

"Dorcas," Lily growled, sounding dangerous. It surprised Remus that she stood up for him to one of her best friends. But then again, she was Lily Evans; she had only ever been good to him.

"Well then, I'll leave you two peacekeepers to discuss things amongst yourselves." Dorcas threw Remus his book, and he caught it just before it could collide with his face. "Adios!"

Watching her skip away to re-join her group of friends put him at ease. Merlin, that girl was a nuisance!

Lily sank down into the grass next to him and let out a sigh. "I'm really sorry she's been bothering you."

Trying to lighten the mood, Remus laughed a little. "Nothing I couldn't handle."

"Even from afar, I could tell that you weren't enjoying the conversation. I should've known she was up to no good."

"She's not your responsibility," he reassured her.

"Says the one who's always making Black and Potter his responsibility." Admittedly, she had a point. But still, his friends were undeniably a notch above any other mischief-maker at Hogwarts.

"Dorcas is comparatively tame," Remus reasoned. "James and Sirius, on the other hand, are always ragging. I should be doing a better job of keeping them out of trouble."

Lily shrugged. "They are who they are. You can't change them." When Remus cast a doubtful look at her, she put a hand on his shoulder and turned him to face her. "What's important is that they value and trust you. You're always there when they need you." Her friendly green eyes were sincere, and he realised that he believed her. "You're a good friend, Remus. I know that from personal experience."

A wave of gratitude washed over him. Lily was the most good-hearted person he knew, and he couldn't help but be honoured that she chose to bestow her kindness on him. Just like with James and Sirius, he felt like he was worth something when he was in her company, that he mattered as the person he really was.

Remus admired Lily for her ability to sense exactly what he needed to hear. "Thank you," he simply said, because he didn't know any other way of conveying what he felt. Lily beamed back at him; he had a hunch that she understood.

During the comfortable silence that followed, Lily crossed her legs and started braiding a flower crown, picking up the dandelions growing around her. Remus noted that she looked like some kind of benevolent fairy queen with the sun seemingly igniting her hair. He watched her for a while; it was oddly relaxing.

Slowly, an idea took shape in his head, and before he fully knew what he was doing, he was already talking.

"She's jealous of you, you know? Mary."

Lily's head snapped up.

"What?"

"She must've known that, apart from James himself, only Peter would be able to refute her story. And no one ever believes him anyway. Quite clever, actually."

"Wait." Lily shook her head in confusion. "So you're saying…"

"That, judging from what Dorcas said, I suspect that Mary MacDonald is currently pretending to make out with James in the Trophy Room while he's actually scrubbing tables in the Transfiguration classroom with Peter," Remus elaborated, amused by her bewildered expression.

Lily let out a faint "Oh."

"You know, despite what someone like Mary MacDonald says, he's still very much infatuated with you. I can tell."

Lily blushed, but held his gaze and smiled. It made Remus feel hopeful. He'd been rooting for the two of them since day one, and it seemed that, after years of not being quite right for each other, both of them slowly started to … click. He didn't know how or why, but he was happy about it nonetheless.

"Thanks, Remus," she chuckled and softly draped the finished flower crown on his head, "But I hope that next time you see him, you'll remember that I didn't ask you about any of this."

"Oh, on the contrary! I'll forget about this whole incident." He put one hand on his heart and raised the other solemnly into the air. "That's a promise."

Lily's smile got a little wider. Tilting her head to the side, she looked at him pensively. "Sometimes I wonder…" She paused, and then shook her head.

"Anyway, I'll better go before anyone over there," she jabbed her thumb at her friend group, "gets suspicious."

Remus nodded, curious about what had just gone through her head, but too polite to ask. "See you at dinner."

Throwing him one last smile, she made her way back to Dorcas and the others. As he watched her leave, he crossed his fingers behind his back.

Sighing, Remus let his gaze drift over the Great Lake again. He combed Lily's flower crown out of his hair and absent-mindedly twirled it around his right index finger. The potions book lay abandoned at his side; he'd finally given up on studying, at least for the day, and decided to blame Sirius for it. After all, it had been him who had persuaded Remus to leave the library and study out here.

Sirius – he'd completely forgotten about him. Where was he? Remus looked around, but couldn't see him anywhere in the lake. A cold feeling grabbed a hold of him, and the world seemed to slow down. He carefully scanned the whole area, then scanned it again, and his panic rose. His breathing shallow, his heartbeat accelerating, he still couldn't spot him.

No, this couldn't be. He tried to stay calm, but failed. His head was spinning. No. Not Sirius. He couldn't have-

"Getting all the girls today, Remus?"

He swung around, facing a dripping wet, but still very much alive Sirius. He'd wrapped himself in an old cloak and was drying his black hair with its hood.

"What- How- Where have you been?" Remus managed to stammer. He was so relieved he could have kissed his friend, yet so angry he could have punched him in the face at the same time.

"Seeing as none of you wanted to join me, I decided to practice my dog paddle," he winked conspicuously, "down there by the reeds."

"Are you mad?" Remus exclaimed, only to realise that he was making a scene. He lowered his voice and hissed, "Someone could have seen you! What were you thinking?"

Sirius shrugged. "No risk, no fun."

"Next time we're out alone, I'm bringing a leash," Remus said, only half joking.

* * *

 **A/N** I know, I know, not by best work, and everyone in this is winking and smiling a lot. Still, I worked so long and hard on this that I wanted to share it regardless.

The first two paragraphs were actually written about two years ago when I didn't know where I wanted the story to go. I picked it up again recently and used prompts to help me shape the narrative into something that I liked. And here we are!

Please feel free to let me know what you think of it! Does it make sense to anyone who's not me?

P.S. Yes, the title is a Kinks reference. ;)


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